AS a former professional cricketer and footballer, Jim Cumbes had many a brick-bat thrown at him.

But today he is officially known as Mr Angry.

His personal assistant at Lancashire County Cricket Club, where Jim is normally the jovial, hard-working chief executive has told him she's pinning up a new nameplate on his office door giving him the new title.

Jim, whose pro career took him to Surrey, Lancs, Worcestershire and Warwickshire as well as stints in goal for Tranmere, West Brom and Villa, just couldn't stomach England skipper Michael Vaughan's infamous "Fredalo" attack on Lancashire hero Freddie Flintoff.

He knows all about the unwritten code of not attacking your team-mate and with that in mind opted to go public slamming Vaughan, who despite his denials did rekindle the Captain Pugwash World Cup debate ahead of the West Indies Old Trafford Test.

He said: "I was so upset about Vaughan's comment I just had to say something so I did. I've seen Freddie and he's all right about it all."

Ironically, and Jim was surprised to hear this, the public bust-up over whether Freddie's antics sunk our World Cup led to an upsurge in tickets in the last 24 hours so Old Trafford yesterday had a near to capacity 15,300 crowd.

Jim, much to his surprise, found himself at the centre of attention behind the scenes.

Farokh Engineer, a Lancs life president and India legend, said: "I went up to Jim and shook his hand. I endorse his views 100 per cent. Fred has been such a great servant to England."